Gwevin: Dangerous Discoveries
by tesha198
Summary: Gwen's family goes on vacation and where she expects a boring town, a certain roguish villain leads her into one of the biggest problems of her life. Just in case there was any doubt I don't own any of the Ben 10 characters, etc.
1. Chapter 1

"So what are your plans for the summer?"

"Nothing exciting… I'm just going out of town with my family for a couple weeks."

"Oh, well that's cool. My family's going on a cruise for most of the summer."

"Lucky! I wish I was doing something like that. My parents' version of out of town is a little village on the edge of nowhere."

"Come on, I'm sure you'll find something to do."

"Doubtful. The extent of this town is like, two shops and three houses. The population is literally one-hundred and fifty people. Not the prime location for fun in the sun."

"Hah, that's hilarious. So when you said small town you meant it!"

This was the conversation I'd been having with my friend for over an hour. We were on our way home the day before summer vacation. School had finally ended and we were free to explore for a whole two months… if only my family was normal.

Rather than spend our time on a tropical island or a warm beach, we were leaving for a small town in the middle of the boonies. If you blinked you could miss it, not the ideal vacation spot. There would be no malls, no concerts, no nothing. The extent of their entertainment was a hike through the woods or visiting a convenience store. It made me sympathize for those who had to live there all year long. I think boredom would drive me insane after a day never mind a year.

"-En… -wen… Gwen!" I was pulled out of my train of thought by my friend repeatedly calling my name and frantically waving her hand in front of my eyes.

"Huh?" I sputtered, trying to remember what she was saying before I zoned out, with no success.

She rolled her eyes and pushed me lightly, causing me to sidestep to keep my balance. I laughed and struck the conversation back up.

"So when are you getting back from your cruise?"

"About the last week of August. But you have to text me everyday to keep me posted on the small town lockdown." She laughed.

I laughed too, although inside I was silently cringing. I just couldn't wrap my head around spending my entire vacation in a tiny place like that. The city was boring enough, and it was seven times the size!

My friend was still laughing even after I stopped, and I rolled my eyes at her overreaction. Laura had been my best friend since middle school and now that we were in high school we were even closer. She had short brown hair and brown eyes that she loved to cover with thick eyeliner. She was always laughing or smiling and she never took anything seriously, unless it was important to her. In some ways she could be the most annoying person in the world, but that just added to her charm.

"Don't hurt yourself Laura, it wasn't that funny." I smiled.

Laura stopped laughing and continued to talk about her cruise and how we had to talk everyday. It was because of her that I had sprung for unlimited minutes and texting on my cell phone.

"You know, you're bound to meet someone while you're there. Maybe if you're lucky he'll even show you around the block!" she laughed. "I mean you stand out everywhere, with that bright red hair of yours."

I smiled, yes that was the one thing that I was most known for. I was pale with long red hair and green eyes. I had a nice physique, thanks to martial arts training since I was seven, and to top it off I had amazing powers that no one else knew about – with the exception of my grandfather and cousin.

"You're right, maybe it wont be so bad after all." I stated, remembering for the first time that I could use the lack of witnesses to seriously practice using powers for the summer.

"That's the spirit! Now have a safe trip and text me the details as soon as you get there!"

With that Laura ran down the street and into her home, stopping to wave from her front porch before disappearing inside.

Opening the door to my own house, I set down my school bag and ran upstairs. My parents would be home any minute and they had told me before school that day that we were leaving as soon as they got here. I shoved the last of my belongings into my suitcase and carried it down the stairs, setting it by the front door. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water just as heard my dad's car pull into the driveway.

Gulping down the rest of the drink, I bolted to the door and grabbed my suitcase. I hauled it to the car and threw it in the trunk, returning for two more belonging to my parents after I was through.

My dad got out of the car to help and as soon as we had everything jammed into the tiny space of the trunk, we piled into the car and set out towards the tiny town of Mudite.

It took over six hours to reach the town by car, with no breaks. By the time I saw the sign reading Welcome to Mudite I was so relieved that I didn't care if I would be stuck in a run down town for two months. The car pulled to a stop in front of an old house and we all piled out.

As soon as I stood I felt my knees buckle and I had to lean on the car to regain stability. Six hours sitting in one position can sure make your legs fall asleep; I couldn't even tell if they were still attached to my body other than the fact that I could see them. I stretched and staggered to the trunk of the car for my suitcase. Heaving it out, I walked to the front door of the house and followed my parents inside. It was a rustic looking house with wood floors and ivy growing up the face of the structure. I traipsed up the stairs and threw my suitcase onto my temporary bed, opening it to search for my spell book. Once I found what I was searching for I grabbed it and ran down the stairs and out the door.

"Where you off to?" my dad called as I was slipping on my shoes.

"I'm going to explore the area."

"Ok, well, tell me if there's anything interesting around that we could visit later." He called, and with that I was out the door and walking down the sidewalk.

After a few minutes of walking I came across an old farmhouse that had overgrown fields surrounding it. You could tell from the open doors and crumbling structure that no one used it anymore. I walked through the tall grass and quietly pushed open the barn door, receiving a loud screeching noise as greeting from the hinges. I walked into the barn and looked around. The roof had areas missing so there were beans of light filtering in as if they were spotlights. There were no animals in the barn, only old bales of hay that were left behind by the previous owner. I grinned, this place was so banged up that no one would notice if I accidentally blasted a few more holes while practicing.

I lowered myself to the ground and sat on a relatively clean part of the floor. Setting my spell book in front of me, I opened it to a page that I hadn't attempted yet and began to read. I became so engulfed with practicing various spells that I didn't even notice when the sun began to set and the spotlight-like rays of sun disappeared from the barn floor.

Just as I was getting ready to leave I heard the door on the opposite side of the barn creak open, causing me to jump. I sat in silence for a moment, hoping that whoever it was would feel inclined to leave after a few steps rather than entering to the point of seeing me crouching on the floor. This was my first mistake.

"Well, aren't you a big girl now?" a familiar voice jeered, sending unwanted shivers up my spine.

"How…" I muttered under my breath when the figure came into view.

There standing before me among all the wreckage of the crumbling barn was Kevin. He looked different now, for one he was no longer a monster amalgamated from all of Ben's aliens. But more than that, you could tell that he was more mature, older, like he'd seen things that no one should have to see. He still held the air of a delinquent about him and hair was shaggy, framing his chiseled features that had become more masculine with age. He had to be around nineteen now, which made sense considering he was older than me and I was turning eighteen in a couple of weeks.

I quickly rose to my feet and rushed towards the nearest door, desperately trying to escape. Before I could however, I felt a muscular arm wrap around my waist and another slam into the door, sealing it shut before I could exit. Another shiver shot through me at his touch and I desperately began struggling to break free.

I heard a small chuckle escape his throat before he leaned down and exhaled, sending shivers down my spine when the breath made contact with my ear. Tears were streaming down my face and I was losing feeling in my limbs as I struggled harder and harder. Then, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

My head felt like I was lost in an unbelievable fog; like I was wandering in a bleak and endless room, completely alone, completely empty. I blinked, light streaming into my eyes and cutting through the haze forcing me squint in order to see.

As far as I could tell I was still inside the barn, but the ropes cutting into my wrists and restraining me against a pillar assured me that I wasn't alone. I struggled, writhing under the tight grip of the ropes in order to break free, to no avail.

"Ah, so you're finally awake." I heard Kevin chuckle from the secrecy of the shadows. "You know, I had no idea I could pull such a strong reaction from you. I mean who would have guessed you would faint just from that."

"Why don't you show your face like a man?!" I yelled angrily in the direction of his voice. "And what do you want with me anyway, Ben's not here!"

"What makes you think I'm after Ben?"

"Years of experience! Now let me go!" I screeched.

That's when I remembered something. I wasn't completely powerless; I still had my spells, my magic, enough that I could free myself from these bindings. All I had to do was keep him distracted, keep him talking and I might be able to escape.

"If you're not after Ben then what is it that you want?"

"I think that's an obvious answer considering you're already here."

"Why would you want me, I haven't seen you since I was ten, and that was eight years ago. Plus, it's not like we got along back then either." Just a few more moments and I would be free; I could feel the ropes loosening their grip.

"True, but it didn't start out as this being my goal. As soon as I escaped from my prison in the null void all I wanted was my revenge on you and you're pitiful cousin. That's where you came in; if I were to capture you then Ben would come to rescue you without a second thought. It was the perfect lure."

"So this really is about Ben." I rolled my eyes at his predictability.

"Nope. I watched you for a few weeks, figuring out your schedule, what the best moment to capture you would be. I have to say, I never expected that you were so fascinating. You seemed to jump at every chance to get out of your house. You would sneak away in the middle of the night to master your power and I would follow, watching from a distance…"

"Okay…Creep" I shuddered at the thought of him peering into my house while I slept, or following me in secret.

"Now Gwendolyn, that isn't a very nice attitude, is it?" he raised his eyebrow and cocked his head to the side as he stepped forward and out of the shadows.

With every step he took towards me I struggled faster and faster to escape from the ropes. Then when he was about a step away, I felt them slide off my wrists and grant me my freedom. I smirked and got to my feet, racing for the door. I didn't get very far, however, as a large hand clamped around my wrist and pulled my back after I had taken two steps.

With a forceful tug I was sent reeling back into the arms of my captor where I was locked into his grip with no chance of escaping.

"Now Gwen…Do you really think it'll be that easy?"

With these words and a smirk his lips were pressed against mine and I could feel his warmth as he held me still against the barn wall. Tears streamed down my face but I couldn't find the will to break free, as if I was immobilized by him. I could feel the anger swelling inside me as his tongue parted my lips and traced the inside of my mouth. My anger seemed to grow stronger and stronger with every moment that passed and I could feel a great power well up inside of me.

All of a sudden we fell backwards and my head spun with confusion. Wasn't there a wall supporting me a few seconds ago? He stopped his kiss and pulled away, clearly as confused as I was yet never letting go of my wrists. We scrambled to our feet and looked around. There before us was no longer the old barn we had been standing in, but a great city unlike anything I had ever seen.

The walls were all constructed from large stone blocks and under our feet was desert sand. The sun was blaring down on us as we looked around, strange people staring back at us. It was like was had been transported into ancient Egypt or something, nothing was new or sleek and everyone had dark skin with either brown or black hair. I took a step backward, as if doing so would bring me back into the barn that had now disappeared.

"Where are we?" I heard Kevin mumble under his breath.

I took another step back while he was distracted and when he didn't notice, I took the opportunity to run. I ran about five meters and then was stopped when a man riding a horse galloped into my path. I fell backward and heard Kevin call my name as he ran towards me, who was unable to get up after falling.

It took Kevin not even a few seconds to reach me, and then he helped me to my feet. I looked up at him as I took his hand, but his gaze did not meet mine, he was glaring in another direction. I followed his gaze and only then did I realize that the man who had almost crushed me with his horse was still standing in front of us.

" " he stated in a language we didn't understand.

"Um, I think he's trying to talk to us." I thought aloud to myself.

"No… really?" Kevin stated back sarcastically. "Any ideas on what he's saying?"

I looked at the man for a minute in confusion. Millions of questions were racing through my mind. Where was I? How did I get here? Who was this guy who had almost crushed me under his horse's hooves? Then something dawned on me. In an instant I yanked my hand away from Kevin's realizing that our fingers had been intertwined the entire time. The man on the horse looked at me with large black eyes, obviously confused by my sudden gesture of malice towards Kevin. I side stepped slightly, doing everything possible to avoid brushing skin with Kevin again; the last thing I wanted was the unwelcome appearance of more shivers shooting up my spine.

"You speak English?" the man on the horse asked after another moment of staring at me, then glancing at Kevin.

"Yes," I stated, taken by surprise by the fact that he did too. "Where are we?"

"This is Phermotia, my kingdom." He replied in his thick alien accent. "Who are you?"

"Don't answer that." Kevin intersected, interrupting our conversation. "How do we know we can trust this guy?"

The man looked at him in annoyance, then back at me. "Come," he stated with a smile. "Allow me to show you to the palace." He whistled and another horse came galloping over so quickly that if he hadn't pointed it out I would have thought it had just appeared.

I looked at the horse, then at Kevin. There was only one more horse and two of us and I was leery about sharing with the person who had kidnapped me. Before I could suggest that I walk, I felt Kevin's hands wrap around my sides and a surge of shivers shot through where his hands rested. Once again, I was unable to push him away or even speak, as if his touch had a paralyzing effect on me. He hoisted me into the saddle on the horse and raised an eyebrow at me when he sat behind me so close that we could have held a piece of paper in between our bodies.

"Now Gwendolyn," He grinned deviously. "You weren't expecting anything were you?"

I elbowed him in the ribs fiercely without turning around, only to have him wrap his arms around me in response and grab the reins. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck and his warmth sinking into my back from where we were pressed together. My heart beat furiously against my chest as I struggled to keep calm, reminding myself that this was Kevin I was pressed against as the kiss from the barn flashed through my mind. I didn't notice until later that we were already moving when the palace came into view and broke off my train of thought. Kevin still had his arms around me and I was leaning into him on the horse to ensure I wouldn't fall off, yet I didn't seem to mind. We crossed the last stretch of land before reaching the palace, Kevin's warmth sending shivers up my back with every step of the horse.


	3. Chapter 3

"I just can't seem to rid myself of this sort of adventure." I sighed, walking through the halls of the palace.

I wasn't really speaking to anyone; I just found it was easier to vent my frustration if I did so out loud rather than internally.

"What do you expect when your cousin wields the most powerful weapon in the galaxy and you yourself have supernatural powers?" Kevin chuckled, reminding me that he had been trailing behind me the entire time.

I blushed slightly at the sound of his rough voice, touching my cheeks with my cold hands to rid them of their pink tinge.

"Why are you following me again?" I asked snidely, hoping to deter him from doing so.

"Now Gwendolyn, you didn't seem to mind being near me on the horse." I could practically sense his face breaking into a devious grin as he spoke these words. "Besides, someone may attack you in that outfit."

"The only one who would attack me is you" I mumbled under my breath.

When we had reached the palace we had been shown to our quarters and asked to change into the clothes suited to their world. Apparently on our way here we had been stared at by many of the locals due to our out of place appearances (not that I had noticed due to Kevin). I was now clothed in an outfit that was similar to Jasmine's from Aladdin, the one difference being it was more risqué. Kevin had also changed his clothes, now sporting nothing but a pair of pants, displaying his chiseled abs for the world to see. It was exactly for this reason that I refused to turn around or look at him, I was afraid what I might do at the sight of him.

"Could you just leave me alone?" I demanded, walking at a quicker pace to try to lose him.

I listened and couldn't hear his footsteps behind me. Assuming he had taken the hint, I abruptly stopped and turned around to head in the opposite direction. Upon doing so I slammed right into Kevin, still behind me, his warm skin brushing across mine. My heart skipped a beat and I shoved him away, only after standing so close to him realizing that he was now half a head taller than me. I recalled back when we were kids and I had been slightly taller than him, he had certainly filled out since then.

"What is it you want from me exactly?!" I questioned angrily, pushing the shivers running across my skin to the back of my mind.

"You'll find out soon enough." He smirked with a look of superiority on his face.

I huffed, the one thing I hated about Kevin the most was his cryptic personality. He never let you know what he was thinking, and he never let on to any plans he may be hatching either.

"You are impossible you know that!" I screeched, lunging forward to punch him in the jaw.

He caught my fist and looked at me. His eyes were filled with a burning intensity that illustrated his dangerous side perfectly. He seemed to peruse my face with those smoldering eyes for what felt like an eternity. I could feel my cheeks flushing once again and his hand clasped over mine was sending recurring shivers throughout my body. Once more it was as if I was ensnared by his brooding eyes and devious grin in a way that made it impossible for me to escape.

He just stood there staring at me with his smouldering gaze, trapping me under the weight of his clouded eyes until I felt as if I was going to suffocate. I could hear myself taking in large breaths of air as if I couldn't fill my lungs and feel my heart pounding wildly under my chest. He could feel this as well, apparently, because his small reserved grin turned into a chastising smirk as my heart rate accelerated.

My mind went blank and I just stared back into his endless gaze. I took a step towards him, never breaking my lock on his eyes, as if pulled by some gravitational force I couldn't break free from. Our hands had become less violently trapped and more intertwined and I wondered what I looked like to him at that moment, slowly inching closer towards him. I looked up at him, only inches apart now, curiously studying his reaction. He seemed to be doing the same, staring at me with one raised eyebrow as if he never thought I would be taking the initiative. It was at that moment that I heard a familiar voice call my name in a thick accent.

"Gwen," he called breaking me free of the Trans Kevin had trapped me in.

The voice belonged to the same man whom had brought us to this palace and found us in the first place. I had later learned that his name was Aleron. I shook my hand out from Kevin's and turned to face Aleron, thankful to be snapped back into reality; I didn't even want to think about what I would have done if we hadn't been interrupted.

"Yes?" I asked smiling sweetly. I liked Aleron; he was sweet and seemed to genuinely want to help us, despite his blatant dislike of Kevin.

I heard Kevin scoff in the background under his breath, obviously annoyed that he had interrupted us, and I stomped on his foot hoping to shut him up. He winced and swore under his breath as I continued to grin at Aleron as if nothing had happened. He didn't seem to notice Kevin's glares because he just continued on with his explanation of why he had sought me out.

"The people are holding a celebration to welcome you and," he paused glaring at Kevin out of the corner of his eye. "Your friend." He stated returning his gaze to me.

I heard Kevin inhale, preparing to say something sarcastic, and elbowed him in the ribs as hard as I could.

"Would you quit doing that?!" he whispered angrily in my ear, a hand wrapped around the spot I had just elbowed him in.

"That sounds great, we'll be there." I smiled at him nonchalantly, stomping on Kevin's foot a second time when he opened his mouth to protest.

I saw Aleron trying to hold back a fit of laughter at Kevin getting smacked around by me before he nodded and left.

I turned around to see Kevin glaring at me, clearly pissed at me for having hit him not once but three times. I froze, preparing for a counter smack or some form of brutal retaliation. Instead Kevin grinned; not his usual grin but an eerie chilling grin that made me shrink back a step. I cringed at his obvious displeasure and turned to escape, only to have his hand clamp around my wrist and be dragged through the halls back towards his room. With every step he forced me to take my heart beat faster and harder in my chest. We were headed towards his room, but why? And what would happen once we got there?


	4. Chapter 4

The corridor leading to Kevin's room seemed much shorter then the time it had taken me to walk away from mine, despite the rooms being neighbors. My wrist was clamped in his iron clad grip as he dragged me behind him, all the while with me desperately trying to break free. Not only did I hate the sensation that his touch brought me, I was also worried about what would happen if we actually ended up in his room. Kevin was dangerous; his criminal nature shrouded by his endlessly intense eyes and built physique. I had no inkling of what he was capable of, nor did I want to find out in this specific situation.

The door approached quickly as he dragged me through the last few steps of our journey, me extremely unwilling to say the least. Just as I thought he would have his way and was about to give up struggling, my powers having had no affect as of yet, I stumbled and accidentally stepped on his heel, causing him to momentarily lose his balance. This was all the opportunity I needed, I clenched my fists and a pink bolt shot out of my hands, knocking him down and freeing my arm. I sighed in relief at my freedom from his grip and in turn the tingles that had been plaguing my skin. Just as I turned to walk away, his fists smacked against the wall behind me, trapping me between his arms and forcing me to face him.

Looking up at his face I did not see the usual cocky smirk or devilish glint in his eye that he usually held when cornering me. Instead he wore a sullen expression on his face, his eyes filled with a furious blaze as he glared down at me making me shudder in shock rather than filling me with the tingles he seemed to push over my skin.

"Um, Kevin…" before I could get another word out his mouth was crushed against mine, silencing me and anything I had wanted to say.

His kiss was rough and violent, as he pushed me against the wall, barely giving me time to breath let alone think straight. He was different from his usual self, the intense, calm and sarcastic adult that I had become familiar with. His violent behavior reminded me of the old Kevin, the Kevin that wanted Ben dead, and the Kevin that had once tried to kill me along with him.

We were still in the corridor and I hoped that someone would walk by and step in, anyone. In the moments he broke away to take a breath he stared at me with icy eyes, only for a second, then went right back to the kiss.

When he broke apart from me for his next breath, I quickly turned my head to avoid his lips when he leaned back in. He paused, pulling his head back and staring at me with cold eyes, unmoving, until I felt as though he was burning a hole into my face.

"What's wrong with you?!" I demanded, punching his chest with both hands in order to force him to take a step back. The punch neither moved him, nor changed his expression.

"Why?" He asked calmly, never changing his icy and angry expression.

"Because you're acting like a criminal!" I bellowed hysterically.

"No, I meant why do you always look at him like that?" his voice was getting thicker with anger after each word he spoke and yet I couldn't follow our conversation at all.

"Look at who?!" I retorted confused and angry.

"Aleron," he said the name as if it left a horrible taste in his mouth then deepened his glare after uttering it.

I didn't say anything, thinking over my reaction after each meeting with Aleron, then looked up at Kevin in anger. "What, exactly, are you implying?!"

He studied my expression for a moment then leaned towards me until his face was only a centimeter from mine. I could feel his breath on my face and neck, causing my cheeks to flush a pink color and forcing me to avert my eyes. After my reaction to this, his trademark smirk appeared on his face, however still holding an oppressively dark undertone to it.

"I've decided," he stated in a confident tone that made me raise an eyebrow. "I'm going to make you my woman. By the end of this week I'll make you fall in love with me."

My jaw dropped at his sudden declaration and I gazed up at him in shock and disbelief.

"That will never happen!" I blushed, angrily averting my gaze from his once more.

He chuckled and closed that centimeter distance between us, stealing yet another kiss, this one filled with passion and determination rather than violence. It seemed to go on forever, and I was powerless to break away, my body not wanting to listen to my mind's instructions. Kevin seemed to have this effect on me.

"Just wait Gwendolyn." He cockily smirked, then turned and was gone, hidden behind the door that led to his room.

I stared at the door for a moment wondering if he would return, hoping that he would chuckle and say in his trademark sarcasm 'it was a joke'. But he never did, and before I could make it to my door my knees collapsed under the weight of Kevin's words, leaving me sitting in the corridor confused and blushing.


	5. Chapter 5

I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to sleep. Kevin's words clung to my mind, warding off sleep as if some sort of sand-man keep-away. I had concluded that this was just another one of his absurd plots to keep me interested, the part I hated was that it was working. I couldn't get his words out of my head, I kept replaying them over and over, looking for sarcasm, anything that would warrant me brushing him off as not serious, but I couldn't find anything. Instead I lay awake; pondering what he was plotting and what he had meant behind his words. Finally sun began to pour into my room, reaffirming my notion that sleep was not coming.

"Hey. Sleeping Beauty. Time to wake up." I heard a deep voice whisper.

I groaned and rolled over, annoyed at this disturbance after finally dozing off, even if just slightly.

In the distance somewhere I could hear someone inhale deeply, and then I jolted out of bed as a cool breeze blew the back of my neck and sent tingles down my spine. I hit the ground with a thud as I literally fell out of bed from the shock.

Looking up from the ground I saw Kevin peering down at me with his trademark impish grin. He was clearly quite satisfied with himself after shocking me awake with his cold breath on the back of my neck. I opened my mouth to retort when the incident from last night flew into my mind and I snapped it shut again without saying a word.

"What? No witty comeback?" Kevin said sarcastically, clearly content with himself. "No even a good morning?"

A chuckle escaped his throat and I could tell by his strained expression that he was desperately trying not to break into laughter.

"No," I stated trying to keep calm in his presence with last night flashing in my head. "I've decided that I'm not going to play into your little games."

"Now Gwendolyn, we both know the real reason behind it." He oozed superiority. "My roguish charm is simply beginning to take affect."

I rolled my eyes and walked away, leaving him standing in my room alone as I headed for the shower.

The warm water of the shower was just what I needed after a night with little sleep. It trickled over me like a waterfall, warming me up and erasing all remnants of Kevin's cold breath on my neck. I ended up standing under the warm water for moments, just letting it wash over me and clear my head. To my joy, I had forgotten all about Kevin and any other unpleasantness that had kept me up that night or woken me up this morning by the time I got out of the shower. I stepped out, dripping wet, only then realizing that I had no idea where towels were kept in this oversized bathroom. I hobbled around the bathroom in search of a towel, the cool morning air nipping at my wet body and making me shiver. After moments of searching with no results I decided to check in my room to see if any were kept there. I opened the door to the bathroom and stepped into my room in search of a towel.

"I didn't know you felt that way." I heard a voice chuckle from the bed. "I'm honored."

I turned, still dripping wet, to see Kevin sitting on my bed as sarcastic as ever. My eyes widened as I realized I hadn't yet found a towel and I froze, shocked and desperately wanting to escape his blazing gaze. He looked me over, my face turning a deeper shade of red with every moment his eyes traced me, until his gaze met my eyes. I could see a spark of content in them along with his usual mysterious glow.

"I…ugh…I, have to go." I stuttered, rushing back into the bathroom and slamming the door behind me to escape his gaze, finally able to gain control of my legs.

I collapsed to my knees on the bathroom floor, my face bright red, and found myself warm without the need of a towel. I stayed there for a minute, until I felt it was safe for me to stand then got to my feet once more, completely dry from the air now.

I rushed around the bathroom, getting dressed in the clothes I found beside the tub (how they could stock clothes but forget towel is beyond me) and brushing my hair. I needed some fresh air, and I knew just who to see to get my mind off of Kevin.

I opened the bathroom door, now fully clothed, and bolted for the hall. Behind me I could hear Kevin's at ease calls as I ran:  
"What's the matter Gwen? Falling for me after just one kiss?"

My face turned even redder as I recalled the kiss once more from yesterday. But I never looked back, afraid that my feet would object after seeing Kevin's face and not allow me to visit someone else. I left Kevin behind and rushed towards the chambers of the only person who seemed to dislike Kevin as much as I did right now, Aleron. I knew Kevin would hate it, but that just gave me even more incentive to visit him. Kevin's game wouldn't suck me in, the kiss, the shower, none of it mattered because as soon as I reached Aleron, I would forget all about the childish Kevin and fall into the world of adults.


	6. Chapter 6

I reached Aleron's room and knocked on the thick, inscribed door. I didn't know what I intended to accomplish by coming here, it had seemed like a good choice at the time, but now it seemed pointless and useless. I couldn't tell Aleron what had happened, and he certainly wouldn't be able to change anything regardless. But I was already here, outside the door to his room, and it seemed foolish to turn around at this point.

The door opened after a few moments and Aleron stood in front of me, a tired expression on his face. I assumed I had awoken him, after all I wouldn't be awake at this time had it not been for Kevin's interference. His brow arched as he realized it was me, and he ushered me into his room, closing the door behind us. I couldn't help but picture the look on Kevin's face if he saw me entering Aleron's room, it was clear that he disliked him, and a grin broke out on my face.

"Can I help you with something?" Aleron asked, likely puzzled by my change of expressions. He prompted me to take a seat on a cushion surrounding a small table and I did so.

"Just a little spooked I guess." I replied trying to avoid telling him what had just happened.

He clearly sensed I wasn't telling the whole story, but he didn't pry for details or an explanation, he merely accepted my answer. He brought a cup of tea and placed it in front of me on the table, holding his own in his hands. I picked up the cup and blew on it to cool it, then took a sip. I felt safe with Aleron. It was as if the events with Kevin were just melting away. In fact, my head was downright spinning. Then…everything went black.

…

I blinked as things blurred into focus. I couldn't remember what had happened but I was ninety-nine percent sure Kevin was responsible and was having a strong feeling of déjà vu. The room became clear and I realized it was a dimly lit, stone room with noting but a table and a chair in the middle. I tried to move my hands, in order to rub my eyes, and found they were fastened to the wall above my head with large metal clasps around my wrists.

"So you've awakened?" I heard a familiar voice ask rhetorically, considering the answer was clear.

I could tell immediately that it wasn't Kevin's voice, the husky, deep voice I had become accustomed to. I mentally kicked myself for ever trusting the man that now stood before me in this dim, dank room with a patronizing and downright creepy grin on his face. There before me stood Aleron, leaning on the table in the center of the room.

"What's going on?!" I demanded. "Let me go right now!"

He rolled his eyes and pushed off from the table so he was standing on his own now.

"Come now Gwen, you can't possibly be this naive." He stated, slowly closing the distance between us as he spoke. "You come to my room early in the morning, and expect me to do nothing?"

I looked away, unable to look at him. I felt like being sick, I had blindly trusted him and now I was paying for it.

"I put some herbs in your tea that I had the doctor give to me. They worked surprisingly quickly. Only a few small sips and you fell like a leaf from a tree." He stated smugly. It wasn't the smug that I knew, the lovable Kevin smug, this was a sickening superiority smug and it made me fear his intentions even more.

He grabbed my face in his hands and squeezed until I was forced to open my mouth from the pain. I could feel a strange sensation wash over me after he let me go. It was a heat that rose up and demanded to be acknowledged, undying and un-satisfy-able. My breathing became jagged and my eyes became hazy as I trying to fight the sensation that was taking over.

"That was a type of aphrodisiac, in case you're wondering. It's already taking affect so it's useless to fight it." He stated.

I could feel him running his hands over the parts of my skin that were uncovered and, although my mind was screaming for him to stop, goose bumps were arising in the spots he touched.

"Is this how he touches you?" I heard him ask as he leaned in towards me. "That thug you brought with you, Kevin."

At the sound of his name the heat in my body rose tenfold and I released a staggered breath. I could tell that Aleron noticed this because his face turned angry and he suddenly became much rougher.

"Just his name and you react so strongly?!" he demanded angrily.

"Please… stop!" I gasped through ragged breaths.

But he had not intention of stopping, my plead merely ignited his desire and prompted him to continue.

…

I had lost track of time. The minutes seemed like hours as I was unable to resist, unable to fight back. When I finally reached the brink of my despair and gave up hope of rescue, I heard a familiar voice in the distance and the heat in body rose once more.

"Gwen!" I hear him yell with relief, then anger as he stated "Who the hell do you think you're touching?! I hope you enjoy hell because that's were I'm sending you, slowly!"

My heart raced at his threats and I couldn't calm myself. He had actually come to save me. It was as if I was watching him as a third party, my eyes were so glazed over that I could only see his blurry outline, but I could hear his voice echoing through my mind as he spoke and I anticipated every word, longing for him to whisk me away from this dingy room.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity I noticed that I could not longer hear Aleron's shouts. Suddenly I felt Kevin's warm hands clamp over my wrists as he undid the shackles that bound me to the wall, my temperature rising with every touch I received.

"Are you okay?" he whispered in my ear as he undid the final shackle.

I fell into his arms, no longer able to resist the heat that was consuming me. "Kevin, I can't take it anymore! Please!" I begged through staggered breaths.

I felt Kevin's muscles flex and he inhaled deeply, clearly thinking over my plead. Then I felt his warm grip around me tighten and his answer was clear.


	7. Chapter 7

Through the haze lingering behind my shut eyes I could feel the smooth, cool touch of a pillow beneath my head. I shivered, nestling my face into it and scrunching my eyes tightly shut to drown out the ever present nip of the cold air blanketing my skin. At my shiver, I felt a warmth surround me and snuggled to get closer to it. I felt my head hit something warm and broad as I shimmied closer to the origin of the warmth, never opening my eyes. I sighed, memories of the day before beginning to reenter my mind.

I gasped, my eyes flying open as my conscious mind regained control and I remembered the events of the previous day.

_Kevin and the shower incident. _  
_Running to Aleron for comfort._  
_The drug in the tea._  
_Becoming a kidnap victim of Aleron._  
_Being tied to the wall of a dark room as if in some twisted SM fantasy. _  
_Kevin bursting in to my aide as the aphrodisiac took affect. _  
_Losing control and begging Kevin to… _

I stopped that thought dead. What exactly had happened after I was swept into Kevin's arms yesterday? I blinked, realizing the warmth I'd been clinging to was actually Kevin's broad chest. His eyes were closed so I assumed he was still asleep as I quietly removed his arm from across my torso and crept out of the bed. I shrieked as I realized I wasn't wearing anything, grabbing the blanket that had been covering Kevin only to find that he too was seriously underdressed, so to speak.

So much for escaping quietly, I cursed under my breath as my face turned probably the brightest red you've ever seen. Kevin grumbled as he rubbed his eyes, my shriek of surprise waking him and thereby preventing my escape from this awkward situation.

"Going somewhere Gwen?" he asked sarcastically with his trademark grin.

At this point my face was probably the matching color to my hair as Kevin rose from the bed, stretching and reminding me of the point I was desperately trying to forget; we were both seriously underdressed.

Unable to say a word, even to remind him that my name was Gwendolyn, I bolted through the nearest doorframe, still wrapped in the blanket for coverage. I was surprised to find, however, that said doorframe did not lead to the hall as I thought it would but instead to another set of rooms connected to the first. In fact, I'd say Kevin's room was even larger than Aleron's had been. I slowed my run to a brisk walk as I made my way through the set of rooms trying to find the door that led to either the hall or my clothes, which had not been near the bed I had awoken on. After a few minutes of searching to no avail I froze where I stood, unwanted memories flying through my head and threatening to take over.

"What's the matter Gwen?" Kevin asked snidely rather than with concern. "Feeling tired?"

He chuckled, walking towards me now clothed in black boxers. I turned away so my back was facing him, unable to look at him for fear of the events of last night coming to mind in full detail. I felt his breath on my neck as he walked up behind me, his face dangerously close to the back of my neck. A familiar yet unwanted heat spread through my body as I let out a small gasp at the presence of his breath so close to my skin. I scrunched my eyes closed once again, praying to wake up in my own bed, hoping that this was all just a sick dream. But his breath continued as his hands grabbed my arms from behind me, tracing circles close to my shoulders with his fingers.

"It's no wonder you're tired after last night." He breathed into my ear and down my neck, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "You were so aggressive last night, calling out in that heated voice."

I flinched away from his words as he continued, yet this only made him pull me closer as he went through the details of the night before. I could feel his body heat seeping into my back as I struggled to get away, all the while him holding me effortlessly in place. As he spoke I recollected every breath, every word, and every move that had occurred between us.

_The heated gasps._  
_The soft caressing, yet the rough kisses. _  
_The thrill as we continued early into the morning. _  
_Kevin's dominance as he explored everything, leaving no position inexperienced. _  
_The deep connection that only we had shared that night, both physically and emotionally. _  
_And the waves of pleasure from every move, word and touch that passed between us. _

I shivered at the thought of it, of us last night, my cheeks becoming hotter with every word until I felt I was ready to combust at any moment. The only thing separating me from his warm skin on mine was the thin blanket that I still had wrapped around myself, through which I could feel every chiseled feature of his body pressed against my own, adding to the growing fire within. My heart accelerated as all of my desires pilled together within me, urging me to take action, while my sense and hatred of Kevin (which I could feel slipping away with every moment he was holding me in his embrace) fought to remain in control and prevent such a thing from reoccurring.

The circles he was tracing on my arms felt like feathers as he began tracing them across the nape of my neck with his mouth as well. I stood there, frozen and unable to resist yet not fully able to give in to his advances at the same time. The feelings from that heated night with Kevin washed over me with every touch, as if a wave slowly erasing my doubts like footprints in the sand. After a few moments, I slowly began to turn to face him, unable to resist the unquenchable thirst that was rising within my body. I locked eyes with him for only a moment, recognizing his know-it-all gaze and lust-filled smirk before he continued with my neck, me tilting my head to welcome it as I ran my hands through his shaggy black hair.

"Sire…" a strange voice interrupted us, as I pulled away finally realizing what I had been about to give in to. "The meeting for the…"

Kevin raised a hand angrily, clearly frustrated by the interruption that had caused me to return to my senses, and the man ceased speaking.

"I get it; I'll be there in a minute." He huffed angrily, glaring at the man standing before him.

Then something clicked in my mind, superseding all of the distractions and confusion that had been clouding me. "What did he mean by 'sire'" I asked confusedly to Kevin, who merely worsened the glare he had been directing towards the man in response to my question.

Kevin chuckled deviously, never averting his glare from the man standing before us. "It means…" he trailed off with a smug, superior smirk. "That you'll find out when I return from this meeting. So stay here like a good little girl while I'm gone. And just to be sure you do, I'm locking the door and posting guards at the exits." Without a motion from Kevin to indicate he should have taken action on this declaration, the man nodded and exited the room silently, directing the guards of Kevin's orders once out of sight.


	8. Chapter 8

I absentmindedly walked around the room I was locked in. After Kevin had left I had managed to track down some clothes and now found myself walking around the empty room. At every door there were two guards and more were waiting below the windows, leaving me no exits. Even if I could leave, using my powers, I found myself not wanting to.

I was a prisoner, but in a way I was perfectly free. I had never been away from my family as entirely as I now found myself, never been so free to make my own decisions with no interference. Even when I had travelled away from my parents I had been stuck enduring the constant prodding of Ben and the watchful eye of Grandpa Max. Here, despite the arrogant bastard I was stuck with, I had no one I had to obey or put up with. I was entirely detached and loving every moment of it.

I wandered over to the window and looked out, below the guards looked up at me ensuring I didn't try anything. I glared down at them, the thought of getting rid of them itching at my mind. Even though I didn't want to leave, and had no where to go regardless, it annoyed me to have surveillance on my every move. I glared down at them, my face scrunching in irritation. I couldn't walk away entirely, but that didn't mean I couldn't explore a little.

I stepped back from the window, waiting a few moments so the guards would stop looking. With a wave of my hand a glowing orb formed around me, encasing me and lifting me off the floor into the air. I looked towards the window and the orb carried me towards it, then out it and over the guards shouting for me to stop.

A small market came into view and I returned to the ground, the guards so far behind I chuckled at their incompetence. I looked around as I walked forward, everyone returning my gaze with their own curious ones. I knew I looked different from everyone, after all I was human and they generally were not, which only gave me more questions about why Kevin was here.

I silently continued walking forward until I spotted a commotion up ahead. I approached, curiosity pulling me towards the crowd. There, standing before me, within the circle that had formed around them, were a couple of men probably around twenty. They were arguing and browsing the faces in the crowd, nothing that would have warranted an audience if not for the fact that these men also looked human making them a spectacle for all those who were not (meaning everyone else in the market). I turned to leave when a hand clamped around my wrist and I whipped my head back around angrily to find one of the men latched onto me, his face baring an annoyed expression as if the fact that he grabbed me was something he didn't want to do.

"Let go." I demanded, jerking my arm away from him and out of his grasp.

He silently rolled his eyes and in one fluid motion picked me up and flung me over his shoulder as if I were a piece of luggage that he didn't want to deal with.

The crowd had moved back, encircling me along with the two men in order to get a better view of my involvement. I clutched my hands into fists and pounded his back, continuing to demand he put me down, while the second man cleared a path through the crowd. My blows didn't even seem to phase my captor as he just made his way through the crowd not noticing me at all.

"I thought she would be more trouble than this." The second man scoffed, looking towards me like I was a disappointment. "He usually doesn't tell us to be careful when he sends us to collect someone."

The man carrying me made a noise in his throat that could have passed for laughter if it didn't hold so much irritation.

My face burned with anger at their conversation. They spoke as if I wasn't even there or important. An inanimate object they were sent to get from the market.

"I said LET GO!" I demanded, my anger overflowing into power as my fists began to glow with an energy that sparked like lightning.

I swung again, this time my fist sending the man carrying me to the ground as my power pounded against his back with my punch. He released me as he fell and as my hands met the ground before my feet when I flipped forward and landed. I whipped my head around to face them, now standing behind me, my hands still glowing as my eyes began to as well.

I raised my right arm out perpendicular to my body and unclenched my fist, the power surging as if it were a fire spreading over my skin. My face contorted into pure rage as I looked at the men before me. Taking a deep breath I curled my wrist and thrust hand towards them, my palm now facing them as if I was telling them to stop. The glow surrounding my hand flew forwards like a bolt I had shot at them and knocked them both backward onto the ground.

"Who are you?" I demanded taking a step towards where they groaned on the ground.

The man who had been holding me looked up at me with an expression that held a mixture of anger and something that looked like he was impressed with me. I met his gaze, my hands still glowing along with my eyes as I waited for his response.

"I told you to be careful didn't I?" I heard someone chuckle to the side of where I was standing.

I turned, ready to throw another bolt at the new voice when I realised who it was walking towards me.

"Kevin." I growled, unhappy that I had been found. "What happened to that meeting you were supposed to be at?"

My hands stopped glowing as he looked from me to the men now picking themselves up off the ground.

"Yeah, I was walking back to the room when I saw you out the window kicking the crap out of two of my men." He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Your men?" I said back irritated.

"They're part of the guard that was supposed to keep an eye on you."

I looked at Kevin, then the men now standing in front of me and turned walking back towards the castle without a word.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kevin called behind me.

"I'm leaving" I called without looking back.

I heard Kevin say something to the men and then heard their footsteps crunching around me as they walked with me. Kevin walking beside me, and the two nitwits in front of us.

I looked towards Kevin, debating if I should give in and ask him my questions rather than be stubborn and uphold the silence.

"I have some questions." I decided finally.

Kevin looked down at me with one eyebrow arched and I took that as an alright.

"Why are you here? Where is here? Why are there only 4 humans here? Why did that guy call you Sire?" I was cut off by Kevin's scoff as he looked forwards, breaking our eye contact.

"Curious little runaway, aren't you." He chided. "All these questions are gonna cost you, and I ain't talkin' money." His grin made me shiver despite the fact that he wasn't looking at me and I quickly averted my eyes from his face.

"I'm pretty sure I've already paid in full." I stated bitterly, looking towards the castle that was now in view.

He made a deep grunting noise in his throat that clearly meant I wasn't even close to paying, then proceeded to answer one of my questions.

"I'm here cause this is where the rift took me." He stated nonchalantly.

It was my turn to arch my eyebrows as I looked at him again, waiting for him to continue while still faintly aware of the two muscled guys in front of us.

"There are different dimensions or pockets within the one you normally live in, the null void being one of these. Each pocket is in some way connected to another, just how earth is connected to the null void, and there are more than one entrance and exit between the two. You didn't think the plumbers had the only means to get me out of there did you?" he chuckled at the thought, as I frowned.

Although I wasn't that ignorant of things, I still had no idea that he would have an opportunity to escape from the prison he had been placed in. At least not to somewhere other than earth.

"When I was in the null void a rift opened up that I happened to find and when I went through it I was able to leave the prison you and your gay ass cousin put me in. The only downside, I didn't end up back on earth, I ended up here when I stepped through, not that I'm complaining or anything." He shrugged, glancing at me out the corner of his eye as he paused for a moment.

"Anyway, the guy who found me helped me get my power under control, blah, blah, blah. Great thing was, he just happened to be the king of this place and when he died I took his place cause he didn't have kids. Bastard was as mean as hell, but he did help me out so I figured I'd stick around."

"Gee, it had nothing to do with position of authority he left you or anything." I rolled my eyes at his grin. "So that explains why you're here and why you were called sire, so what about the other questions?"

He paused, looking at me with a cocky smirk. "What are you willing to offer for the answers?" He asked wryly.

A deep blush spread across my cheeks at his suggestive question and accompanying grin. I'd be damned before I admitted it aloud, but Kevin did have that dangerous quality that made him attractive in a way I shouldn't have been noticing. Ben would have killed me if he were here to witness me melting in the hands of his enemy.

"Is this all just payback for sticking you in the null void? Playing with me like a toy?" I asked, pleased with the steady tone my voice came out in despite my hot face and shaky legs.

"You can think that, or you can just give in to what you know is the truth." He winked, his black eyes blazing into mine with a heat that made me stumble before regaining my footing and continuing to walk.

"And what truth is that?" I blushed.

"Hmmm…" was his only answer as he grinned and looked forward, once again breaking our gaze.

I hated his cryptic words that seemed to leave me hanging with an unquenchable thirst for the taste of forbidden fruit I couldn't bring myself to ask for. And the fact that he knew it bothered me made him do it all the more in a relentless effort to make that heat rise within me.

"There aren't four humans." He stated, abruptly answering my question and cutting off my thoughts in one short sentence. "There isn't even one."

"But…" I began, confused by his statement before he cut me off again.

"Norio and Heric," he began gesturing towards the men in front of us "are shape-shifters. Each can become the animal that possesses his soul, yet can walk like a man. Which is much more convenient at times. Not human." He stated bluntly.

I looked at the two walking in front of us, noticing their slight motions at each noise that sounded, and some I supposed, that were too distant for me to hear at all. They were constantly shifting and listening, just like an animal awaiting an attack, constantly defending. I nodded and Kevin continued.

"As for the other two, I'm not human and neither are you. Though I see you still delude yourself to believe we are."

I frowned at his words, although I new I wasn't technically human and my power wasn't technically magic, it was just second nature to think so. Try going to school and when someone asks 'where are you from' you say 'oh well I'm from another planet because I'm actually an Anodyte made of pure energy due a bloodline from my fathers side of the family'. Someone hears you say that and you pretty much get straight-jacketed and taken away. So yeah, it became the obvious choice to refer to myself as human, and Kevin looked like a human so that was understandable as well.

"The reason we look different is because this is another planet, far away from earth or anywhere you know of. The details are confusing so I'll leave it at that." He stated, clearly not open to revealing anything else about where we were.

"One more thing." I stated, after a minute of taking in the answers he had given me. "What happened to Aleron?"

"Who?" he returned with dark eyes and a viscous smirk that reminded me of the way he used to be a long time ago.

I fell silent. I could only imagine the horrible things Kevin had done to him, the torture he had suffered through and the state he had left in (if even still alive). I shuddered at the thought, despite the knowledge that he deserved everything he got for what he had attempted.

By the time I resurfaced from my thoughts I found we were back in the castle, stepping through the doorway into Kevin's chambers once more. As I zoned in fully and turned to leave the room, the door slammed, pulled shut by Norio and Heric who were no doubt standing in the hall to prevent my escape.

Kevin's arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against him, his warmth overflowing into my back and causing me to shudder.

"Let go." I stated half-heartedly, not sure that I could endure it if he did.

His chuckle vibrated down my neck as he ushered me away from the door and further into the room. "Time to pay in full for all those answers." He whispered darkly and seductively, his warm breath heating up my neck and ear as my shudder deepened.


	9. Chapter 9

My breathing was coming out ragged as I gasped for air, my eyes blurring out of focus so I could do nothing but feel. My hands were running through his hair, grasping fistfuls as my back arched off the mattress. He grunted every time I did so, as if unable to feel the pain and taking each tug as an invitation to increase the intensity. My heart was thundering in my chest, to the point that it felt as if it could break through my ribs at any moment.

My mind told me to stop. Stop grasping his hair. Stop pulling him closer to me. Stop feeling him slowly burrowing into my heart and body. With each of my heated gasps my mind screamed for me to stop, to come to my senses and find a way home. Yet even as these thoughts itched at the back of my mind, the fire building in my body was to powerful to be stopped as it begged for more. It was no longer just a want. It had become a need.

I shuddered as I felt his hands run along my bare sides and pause at my hips, his touch leaving tingles across my skin. His bare skin pressed against mine smelled of sweat and sex. I inhaled, savoring the scent as his hands began to move lower and I pulled his head down to mine.

His lips felt soft pressed against my own, yet held a sense of urgency and force that made him feel dangerous and only worked to increase my burning desire. His tongue pressed into my mouth, running along my own and making me feel dizzy as my head began to spin. I could faintly taste mint between inhalations of his warm breath that could simply not be described.

My need rose with each taste, each caress. That's what it had become. I needed Kevin Levin, and only he could satisfy that need. And satisfy it he did.

I lay beside Kevin, warm in his arms as he dozed quietly beside me. I couldn't blame him for dozing off after such an exhaustingly intense afternoon. From the time we had returned to the evening we had been holed away in Kevin's chambers.

I sighed contently, rolling over and snuggling into his chest as his arm tightened around my waist. I rolled my eyes, realizing he wasn't really sleeping but too blissful to care. If someone had told me a few years ago that I'd be laying beside the infamous Kevin Levin in bed in my future, I would have silenced them for good. But being in that very position now, I found it wasn't strange or wrong as I would have thought. It was warm and comforting, even relaxing.

"What?" Kevin asked, noticing my grin.

"Nothing." I responded, nestling against him, his bare skin sending sparks through my own. "Just thinking."

Kevin raised an eyebrow quizzically but didn't say anything. Instead he began tracing circles on my lower back with the arm he had draped across me in a protective and warm embrace.

I shivered, his touch sending tingles up my spine. He clearly felt my shudder because in one smooth movement he had flipped me and was now lying atop him as if a blanket. I blushed, despite not having anything to be embarrassed about after that afternoon. The actual blanket rested on top of my back as I blanketed Kevin, my head resting on his chest.

We staying like that for a few more moments (okay more that a few) before Kevin got to his feet. I gazed at his figure as he threw on a pair of pants and made his way to the door, calling someone I presumed was a servant and demanding dinner.

I groaned, although I was hungry after that I couldn't bring myself to leave the warmth of the bed and the covers that were atop me.

"Dinner will be here soon." Kevin stated, rejoining me in bed.

I tilted my head to the side, curious as to what he meant.

"You didn't think you could get away from me that easily, did you?" he chided, displaying his trademark grin.

I rolled my eyes and nestled against him once more. "Of course not." I chided back with a chuckle.

About ten minutes later a girl came in carrying a tray. Setting it on the foot of the bed and bowing, not making eye-contact with either of us, she silently exited. Kevin grabbed the tray and brought it to his lap. On it were some exotic fruits I had never seen before, a delicious looking meat and a bottle of wine. He took a swig from the wine bottle, ignoring the glasses brought on the tray, before offering it to me.

I rolled my eyes again. You could take a guy off the street but you couldn't take the street out of the guy.

I took the bottle and drank a swig, recognizing it as some form of red wine, before taking a bite of a piece of fruit. It was not surprise that in half an hour we had both finished the food entirely. I assumed it would have taken less time if Kevin hadn't periodically stopped to steal a kiss from me, rather forcefully at that, among other things.

When the tray was empty he set it on the floor and grabbed me. I melted into his arms and his kiss, loving his forceful side but not giving in entirely. If he wanted something he was going to work for it, I chuckled to myself.

He seemed to get more energy each time rather than losing energy. It was as if my reactions were better than sleep, providing all the nourishment he needed for another round.

I had a feeling it was going to be a long and intense night, with little to no sleep though I want complaining. I couldn't help but cringe in the back of my mind at what Ben would do if he saw me now, in the arms (not to mention the bed) of his sworn enemy. I wiped the thought from my mind, yet was unable to shake the ominous feeling that something was about to occur in the near future – something big – as I wrestled with Kevin.


	10. Chapter 10

"…Don't let him escape!"  
"What are…!"

I groaned, groggily entering and leaving consciousness only to catch tidbits of whatever mayhem was presently unfolding.

"What's going on?" I mumbled, rolling over only to find the bed empty of any trace of the man who once lay at my side.

I rubbed my eyes, an ear-shattering crash finally jolting me fully awake and sending me flying out of bed so fast I almost face-planted. I grumbled, kicking aside the cause of my clumsiness, what looked like one of Kevin's shirts, as I hurriedly threw on clothes, making a mental note to hold Kevin responsible for my near wipeout later.

The large doors to the hall were shut and I could hear guards' cries more clearly with each step I took towards them. I flung them open, my heart racing and my temper ablaze. As I did so a guard flew towards me, nearly nocking me over before I had time to jump out of his path. He lay at my feet, unconscious and breathing raggedly, clearly in immense pain from being flung aside as if a rag. I scowled, not sure what was going on exactly, but positive Kevin was involved.

I turned, reluctantly leaving the guard collapsed on the floor, to meet his assailant. Before me stood a familiar yet somehow different figure, gaping back at me as if I had just died and been resurrected before his very eyes.

"…B-Ben?" I asked, squinting skeptically at the figure at the end of the hall.

He opened his mouth as if to answer, only to close it again. He repeated this several times and I rolled my eyes, his resemblance to a goldfish astonishing me.

Although currently in one of his many alien forms, there wasn't a shadow of doubt in my mind that the being before me was Ben. If the green omnitrix on his chest wasn't evidence enough, his actions spoke for themselves, and what they screamed were overconfident and more than a little rash. Only Ben would have the gall to attack a fully armed castle, especially one ruled by Kevin Levin, alone. Although despite the undeniable fact that this was indeed Ben something about him was different, almost unfamiliar. Before I could put my finger on what it was a green flash of light made me squeeze my eyes shut, only to have the shock of my life standing before me when I reopened them.

In place of the alien that had just moments ago been blankly staring at me stood Ben, completely human and completely old. My heart dropped into my stomach, finally understanding his shock upon seeing me.

"Are you from the future?" I managed to ask under my breath.

He looked at me, his expression turning grim as he slowly shook his head no. The touches of silver mixed in with his familiar Brown hair caught rays of light filtering in from nearby windows, only emphasizing our newfound age gap.

"B-but if you're not from the future…" I trailed off, my mind a swirling jumble of questions begging to be answered. "How long have I been here?"

My face must have looked horrified because his softened to my panic.

"That's not important now." He smiled softly, not making eye contact with me.

"How long Ben!" I screeched, unable to handle his cryptic response calmly.

He flinched, finally making eye contact with me before sighing.

"Around 30 years" he answered, stroking his short beard as he did so.

My eyes widened in utter disbelief, my legs feeling weak beneath the weight of my body. It felt like the world was spinning around me and I braced myself for the fall. Instead I felt two familiar and strong arms wrap around me in a warm embrace from behind.

"How the hell did you get here?" Kevin's voice dripped with malice, his whole body hard and unmoving as he faced Ben.

Although I couldn't see his face, I could tell from the tense muscles pressing against my back that he was definitely out for blood. I laced my fingers with his to ensure he wouldn't suddenly rush at Ben and leave me to collapse on the hard floor.

At my touch I felt his hands and arms un-flex slightly and I sighed in relief under my breath.

"What have you done to Gwen!" Ben shouted, glaring at Kevin who was still holding me upright.

I heard his familiar chuckle as Kevin rested his chin atop my head, imagining the black look of superiority he was no doubt facing Ben with.

"Guess" was all Kevin said, his fingers tracing shapes on my hands as he did so, causing me to blush at his tingle inducing touch.

Bens face contorted from rage to shock and back to rage as he glanced between Kevin and I.

"Gwen, I'm taking you home." Ben said matter-of-factly, desperately trying to remain calm and coerce me towards him. "Don't you miss home?"

I was silent, images from home flashing through my mind. My friends, my family, the feeling of safety they provided me.

Kevin's hold tightened around me slightly, pulling me back to reality and causing me to look up at him. He peeled his glare away from Ben for a moment to meet my gaze, the anger still there in his eyes but mixed with what looked like fear and sadness. My heart skipped a beat and before I could think through my actions I had turned towards him and wrapped my arms around his chest tightly. I could hear his heartbeat quicken as I rested my head against him and grinned at his body's honesty.

"Gwen?" Ben's voice called to me, sounding confused and more than a little pained.

All too quickly I realized what I had done. What my actions meant to the two men ready to charge at each other. I contorted my face, biting back tears and memories for an instant, before turning back towards Ben.

"Ben, I miss you. I miss my family and my friends. I miss home." I could hear my voice shaking as I spoke but found comfort in Kevin's ever tightening grip at my words.

"I know." He returned, looking confused. "That's why you're coming home with me."

"Ben," I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm not leaving."

Ben's face grew dark and he locked eyes with Kevin, refusing to blink.

"Gwen, you know he's dangerous." He pressed, never breaking his glare with Kevin.

"I know." I said, my voice steady and my resolve unwavering.

"And you know all he can bring you is pain." Ben continued.

"I don't know," Kevin interceded with his impish grin. "There's plenty of pleasure."

I blushed, elbowing Kevin in the ribs to shut him up, Ben clearly un-amused by his words.

"I know." I nodded at Ben.

"Then you know I can't leave you here." A green flash of light filled the hall and subsided to reveal an alien where Ben had stood.

Kevin grunted from behind me and released the hold he had been maintaining with my shoulders.

"Stop it Ben!" I screamed, stomping my foot for emphasis.

From behind me I heard a blood curtailing scream and then where Kevin once stood now stood the ever familiar amalgamation of aliens he had become.

"Kevin!" I pleaded hopelessly. "Please don't do this!"

Neither took notice of me as they charged at one another, teeth bared and snarls erupting from the tangled mess of clawing limbs and colors. Grunts of pain could be heard as they lashed out, blood becoming clearly noticeable on the pale floor beneath them.

"That's enough!" I screamed, raising my hand to separate them with mana.

Instead of the familiar pink power that usually erupted from my hands came waves of nausea. The room spun and I gasped for air in an attempt not to hurl. I dropped to my knees, my attempt failing. As soon as I'd caught my breath I raised my hand towards them once more, only to be met with an even worse bout of nausea than before.

I collapsed on the floor, the last thing in my field of vision being Kevin releasing Ben from the hold he had on him and racing frantically towards me. Then the world went black.


	11. Chapter 11

The world was dark and cold, as if everything had been consumed by a black hole. I shivered, opening my mouth to call for help but finding myself unable to speak. With no idea where I was or how to leave I felt terror begin filling my mind. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply as tears began to stream down my cheeks. When I finally reopened my eyes I could see a small light in the distance, glowing ever so faintly against the black backdrop. My heart thundered in my chest as I frantically ran towards it. The closer I got the clearer I could hear voices echoing around me, yet it seemed as if the gap would never close, as if I would never reach the elusive glow.

Why am I here? Why cant I speak? Questions raced through my mind a million miles a minute.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Kevin's familiar voice echo. "She looks like she's in pain!"

I looked around, unable to pinpoint where his voice was coming from in the expanse of darkness surrounding me. Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?!

"WHY CAN'T I USE MY POWER!" I cried out, tears streaming down my face as I flew upright like a rocket.

"Gwen? Gwen, it's going to be fine. Calm down. Take deep breaths." Ben's voice reassured me.

I looked around, calming slightly as I found myself in Kevin's bed, light streaming in through the windows and erasing any trace of the darkness that had been looming mere moments ago.

I inhaled deeply, searching the room with my eyes as I exhaled.

"What happened?" I muttered, my voice cracking as I did so.

I cringed, wiping my tear stained face with the back of my hand and inhaling again.

"You fainted." Kevin stated from the opposite side of the bed Ben was standing beside.

"What do you mean you cant use your power?" Ben piped up, tearing my gaze away from Kevin and his smoldering eyes filled with concern.  
I paused, unable to answer his question.

"I don't know." I finally sighed, pulling my knees into my chest and grabbing the bed sheets tightly in frustration.

I looked down, replaying what had happened in my mind, my knuckles slowly turning white.

"It was almost like…" I paused again, searching my mind for the right words. "Like someone was repressing my power. I could feel someone preventing me from…" I clenched my jaw shut, unable to finish my sentence. "What's happening to me?"

I looked between Ben and Kevin with pleading eyes, searching for any hint they had an answer.

"You know the only one who can answer that is Verdona." Ben finally answered, meeting my eyes with a cold gaze.

I broke away from his gaze, images of Verdona flashing through my mind in a loop.

"I told you Ben, I'm not leaving." I looked down as I said this, torn between answers and my desire to stay.

"Don't be a fool, Gwen." Ben spat, his temper no better than that of his teenage self. "What if something is wrong with you."

A silence fell over the room, his words piercing me like the blade of a knife and causing me to flinch. What seemed like an eternity passed before Kevin finally cut through the tension hanging in the air.

"Gwen…" he paused, as if unsure if he wanted to continue. "You should go with him."

"No." I shook my head, silently begging him to take it back.

He looked away, his face cold and angry. "You cant stay here anymore." He seethed, turning his back towards me and heading for the doors. "I want you gone."

The doors slammed behind him and I stared at them in utter shock. Ben was silent but I could tell he was pleased and I fiercely glared at him in response to the look of content on his face. If he hadn't of come here everything would still be fine! I knew Ben wasn't at fault but I couldn't help blaming him and his rash attack for my condition. I knew he could sense this too as his look of content turned to annoyance and he picked me up and flung me over his shoulder.

"Let me go Ben!" I screamed, thrashing around and hitting his back as hard as I could.

He just grunted, as if to say not on your life, and continued down the hall. I stared at the marble floor as he walked, noticing the still present pools of blood in the area they had fought. I wondered where Kevin was, if he was hurt, if he had really meant the cruel words he had used to push me away. As my mind wandered I barely noticed the marble turn to metal and the location change, almost as if we had crossed an invisible border. I looked up to see an unfamiliar structure that I assumed was Ben's home as he entered without a care in the world.

Once inside he set me down on a bed and left the room, an audible click sounding as he locked the door to ensure I wouldn't escape. I looked around the room for anything that would useful in my escape but found nothing. In fact there was barely anything in the room at all. The room felt very cold and impersonal, as if no effort had been put into its design at all and no one had ever entered it. I laid back on the bed in utter frustration, no idea what to do now that I was supposedly home. If it really had been 30 years then nothing would be the same. My parents, my friends, they'd all have grown up and changed. There was no way I could face them now.

Downstairs I could hear tidbits of Ben, presumably talking on the phone.

"Just get over here ASAP!" he sounded irate, as if whoever was on the line was giving him answers he never wanted to hear.

"Fine." I heard him sigh as he hung up.

I could hear him walking around downstairs, shuffling through drawers and slamming cupboards angrily. After a few minutes of his tantrum I heard a second voice begin to speak, a familiar voice.

"Hello dear." Verdona said, stepping into the room to greet me.

"Hi Grandma." I replied, forcing a smile.

I knew she knew my smile was fake. She knew everything. But she overlooked it and I was thankful for that.

"Tell me what's wrong." She prodded, sitting on the foot of the bed with a smile.

I explained what had happened. My abduction. My life with Kevin. Ben's sudden appearance. The fight between them. And finally my collapsing when my power failed.

She looked puzzled for a brief moment, as if pondering what the cause could be, then met my eyes with a smirk.

"Well Gwendolyn," she began amusedly. "The answer is really quite simple."

I stared at her, waiting desperately for her to continue, my heart thundering from the suspense.

"You're pregnant." She stated, her grin widening into a beaming smile. "Congratulations!"

My breathing became shallow as her answer sank in. I felt like I was hyperventilating, my mind spinning like a top and my body unable to move.

"Breath, dear!" Verdona insisted, closing in on me and thumping me on the back. "Breath! What you're doing is not good for the child!"


	12. Chapter 12

I lay in bed, unmoving, allowing my mind to wander as my body no longer could. I could hear the usual bickering, between Ben and Verdona, from down the hall and desperately tried to ignore it.

"I'm worried for the child." Verdona sighed yet again. "All it's being exposed to is negative energy."

"She's just moping cause she cant use her powers at the moment." Ben huffed, disinterested in the conversation that had been had so many times before.

"Ben. You know that that's out of her control. It's a defense mechanism in place to preserve the life of the child." She was stern, as if ready to pounce if Ben's response wasn't the correct one.

"Yeah Yeah. 'Her power draws on life energy so in order for her not to drain the energy of the child her powers are temporarily suspended'. If I hear that one more time I swear I'm going to rip off my own ears." He was gruff, slamming cupboards in an attempt to keep calm as per usual. "If it was up to me she wouldn't be having that bastard's baby in the first place."

A tense silence fell over them as Ben's words hung in the air. Only a few seconds later I heard him curse under his breath, no doubt hit by Verdona as she had a tendency to do when provoked.

I exhaled deeply, blocking out their infuriating words as best I could. It had been weeks since I had been brought home – or rather what Ben knew as home but was little more than a prison to me. After being monitored twenty-four-seven by Ben and Verdona I found it almost impossible to think of it as anything else.

Over the weeks I'd tried to escape relentlessly, only to be met with failure each time, and eventually decided to give up. The closest I'd managed to come was making it outside, where I'd found Ben's house resided high above the city below. I searched until I was forcibly dragged away but still couldn't find the door back to where Kevin was. The only option left was to jump off the edge of the property and plummet to the city below, however without my power I would undoubtedly die – a fate that was beginning to seem pleasant in comparison to Ben and Verdona's constant bickering.

I sat up, the bed squeaking under me as I did so. A large part of me missed Kevin and wanted nothing more than to fall into his warm, rough embrace once more. Yet as soon as I thought about his mischievous grin or his strong arms wrapping around me, his cold, cruel words pricked at the back of my mind, as if a chisel etching doubt into a stone wall. So many questions still lingered, and the fact that all hope of answers died with the hope of returning to his side only increased the burden of bearing his child. Why had he pushed me away? Had he seen the signs of my pregnancy and purposely abandoned me? Or was he genuinely concerned? I knew perfectly well that without the answers I would never be able to decide how to move forward. Whether to hate him or to hold onto that small ray of hope cutting through the fear of abandonment.

I leaned against the window, scowling at the bars now obstructing my once clear view of the city. Of all the childish and controlling things Ben had ever done, he was sure working towards a personal best. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon and I smiled as the sky glowed with shades of red and orange. The city below was shrouded in shadows, the suns light leaving the once bright streets in favor of the subtle glow of the moon. I absentmindedly scanned the streets below, taking note of the mundane lives people were living and rolling my eyes in annoyance, amazed that their ignorance was just as apparent as when I was here 30 years ago. As I did so, something caught my eye, only to disappear just as quickly. A shadow, there and gone before I could even blink. My heart skipped a beat at its familiarity and my breath caught in my chest as I frantically searched the area for where it had vanished to. I caught sight of it a couple seconds later only to have it vanish yet again before my very eyes. I ran across the room, cursing under my breath to find the bedroom door locked as usual. Never in my life had I been so frantic and ecstatic at the same time. I jiggled the doorknob furiously, then stopped, a warm breeze tickling the back of my neck and brushing strands of my hair around my face. I turned back to the window slowly, my heart thundering so loud in anticipation for who I may find that it felt like my chest would explode from the pressure.

The iron that had once barred me from the outside world had vanished, leaving behind a sense of freedom that almost made me collapse in tears of relief. On the windowsill of the newly opened window sat something that immediately made my knees begin to give out as familiar shivers spread across my body. A single Calla Lily adorned the otherwise naked windowsill, gently laid on its side and topped with a dirty looking envelope. I tiptoed towards the dark flower, almost afraid that it would vanish as I approached, leaving me nothing but the warm breeze as proof of his presence, however fleeting. Hesitantly I picked up the flower, smiling at its mystery. I glanced down at the envelope, snickering under my breath at its almost decrepit state – as if someone had dropped it several times and forcibly scrunched it into their pocket. I peeled it open, pulling out the small card that was inside with shaking hands. As I read what was messily scrawled across the card I sighed in relief, falling back onto the bed, all my doubt vanishing in an instant.

_I'm still here. _

So simple and vague that it was almost ridiculous. Regardless I had the answers I'd been desperately wanting to find, and all it had taken was three words. I gripped the card tightly, inhaling deeply and smiling for the first time in what seemed like ages. From the hall I could hear Ben and Verdona calling my name as Ben fumbled with the key to the locked door. Quickly and quietly I placed the flower and card under the bed, out of sight just in time for them to burst into the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Ben's face was grim, the bags under his eyes only aging him more than he already had. I stifled a laugh, knowing it would only ignite the rage he'd been suppressing for days if he heard it.

After bursting into my room to find the bars on the window missing Ben had made it his personal mission to prevent Kevin from returning. To his displeasure, he had yet to succeed. He stayed up every night, keeping watch, to ensure that he didn't sneak in like before. Even still there was a large vase on my bedside table that was beginning to amass quite the bouquet. I knew that to Ben it was just Kevin mocking his inability to catch him, but I was happy none the less. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders, each visit and each flower left for me only lightening my heart that much more.

"Oh stop sulking Ben." Verdona sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're behaving like a spoiled child."

I smiled at her words, glad to finally have her on my side instead of Ben's. She had finally persuaded him to stop reinstalling the bars on my windows every time Kevin removed them on the condition that I stop trying to run away.

"So," I began, unsure of how to approach any topic relating to the baby with Ben within earshot. "I've been thinking about possible baby names."

I saw Ben's body tense out the corner of my eye, but decided to ignore it. Frankly it was becoming harder and harder to cope with his constant oppression of my every move, his watchful eyes following me every second of the day, and his blatant contempt for my unborn child.

I heard him mumble some profanities under his breath, along the lines of the child being unwanted in his opinion, and watched as he stormed off. I glanced after him, noticing the time on a nearby clock as I did so. As soon as he was out of view I stormed off to my room.

The breeze from the newly unbarred window felt comforting against my flushed skin and before long Ben was the furthest thing from my mind. I undressed for bed, unconsciously placing a hand over my slightly protruding stomach more than once as I did so. I smiled, a million thoughts running through my mind at once. What would we name it? would it be a boy? A girl?

"Gained a little weight, have we?" a dark voice growled from behind me.

All at once a thousand shivers ran up my spine as he reached his arms around me, resting his large hands lightly on my stomach. His breath tickled my neck and I felt as though my heart would leap from my chest with every beat. His warmth spread across my back, his all too familiar chest pressed tightly against me as he chuckled in my ear.

"Now Gwen," he teased. "You weren't expecting something were you?"

I smiled, his all too familiar mischievousness making me roll my eyes.

"You shouldn't be here." I mumbled under my breath, cringing with every word.

I felt his body shake against me as he chuckled again. "Worried about me?"

I paused, taking in his touch, his voice, his all too welcome warmth.

I spun around to face him, his arms remaining coiled around me as his hands came to rest on my lower back. His dark eyes were even more intense than I remembered and I could feel myself being drawn in. He leaned down, his warm breath tickling my face as he held our gaze, his eyes filling with the predatory glint of longing that I'd come to miss. Then all too quickly his lips were upon mine.

The kiss was rough and passionate. I could feel his frame supporting the entirety of my weight as my knees gave out, but still our lips did not part. The outside world seemed to disappear as the kiss stretched on, seeming to last for an eternity yet ending all too soon.

"Bastard!" I heard Ben yell, snapping me harshly back to reality.

My body froze in terror, Kevin's lips had already left mine. In the heat of the moment I had forgotten Ben's vendetta against Kevin and his role in my unborn child. My body turned ridged, my face smooth and hard as stone, as I stepped in front of Kevin, separating him from Ben's reach.

"Don't Ben." I firmly declared.

"Move Gwen." Ben said, crossing the gap between us in the blink of an eye.

His furious gaze never left Kevin as he stalked towards us, making my heartbeat accelerate at his impending attack.

I took a defensive stance when he was within arms reach, his eyes finally acknowledging me as barring his path. His eyes narrowed even more severely into a scowl and he raised his hand as if to strike out at me.

Before I had time to react to his swift movement I found myself against a wall with Kevin's body defensively crouched between me and Ben. Ben had also been restrained by Verdona, who in place of her usual cheerful smile now had her face scrunched in a rage.

"That's enough Ben!" Verdona barked, her voice echoing as her eyes glowed an eerie luminescent pink.

She looked to Kevin to me and back to Ben before deepening her glare. "Do you have any idea what you were about to do?"

Ben didn't answer, merely rolled his eyes and grunted under his breath.

My heart-rate finally began to normalize again as Verdona continued to lecture a frustrated Ben. Then all too suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my side and fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around my waist.

"Gwen?" Kevin frantically shouted. "What's wrong? What's happeneing?"

Then just as quickly as the pain had started, Verdona was at my side forcing Kevin to back away from the protective hold he had on me.

"What's wrong with her?!" Kevin angrily hollered as Verdona led me away and my vision began to fade in and out from the pain.

Then everything went black.


	14. Chapter 14

I groaned, light filtering in from somewhere forcing me to scrunch my already closed eyes even more tightly shut.

"This is a serious problem, I don't think you fully understand the ramifications of what you are talking about here."

The voice was stern, an almost pleading tone lacing every word. I cringed, the convoluted way of speaking making it all to clear who was presently in the room with me.

I blinked, my eyes slowly adjusting to the bright room despite the cries of pain from my raging headache begging me to fall back asleep. There, standing before me, blurry at first but becoming every clearer, stood Professor Paradox.

"Ah yes," he nodded at me, acknowledging my consciousness before I was even aware who the giant blurs of color standing before me were. "Glad to see you're doing well Gwendolyn. Or rather that your past self is well, which I suppose at present is actually your present self as your self that would otherwise inhabit this time period is no longer in existence."

I rubbed my forehead, his usual ramblings only worsening my throbbing headache.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" I mumbled quietly, cringing from the pain every word caused me.

"That's just it Gwendolyn, as I've been trying to explain to these simpletons for the past hour," he gestured irately towards Ben and Kevin, who were standing behind him, frowning in response to his insult. "There is no Earth. The planet as you know it no longer exists."

I paused, trying desperately to make sense of his cryptic message.

"Come again?" I finally sighed, giving in to the fact that I required more information.

"What you have done, and what you will do, will be the deciding factor for the fate of the planet." He sighed heavily, as if exhausted from having to explain something that he thought to be obvious.

"I see," I rolled my eyes, sick of his cryptic answers. "Well in that case I wish for world peace."

His face was flat, obviously un-amused by my use of sarcasm and without missing a beat he continued on with his explanation.

"When you and Kevin were transported to the dimension you found yourself in, the jump caused a ripple effect in the space-time-continuum. The very fact that you stopped aging effectively erased all your future selves, thereby separating you both from the normal fluctuations in Earth's dimensional time. By returning to this dimension in a time different to the one from which you came, with a child no less, you have caused such severe damage to Earth's reality that your own present existence has begun collapsing in on itself."

"So what you're telling me is that because we've created ripples in the very fabric of time and reality I technically don't exist?" my voice was cracking, I could hear it as I spoke.

"That's just the beginning of the issue!" he threw his hands up, exasperated. "Because your child was conceived out of the confines of time and reality his growth rate has been highly accelerated. Normally I could correct the problem, however seeing as your body has channeled all of its power into protecting the child that option has proven to be impossible."

I found myself holding my stomach, suddenly weary of what the Professor was trying to say.

"The only option we have to correct the ripple effect is to prevent the child from being conceived in the first place, however with the power of two anodites working against this goal I found it necessary to first come to you directly in hopes that you would see reason. Something that judging by your present reaction was a naive hope indeed." He shook his head, obviously displeased with my cold expression and protective hold over my stomach.

"There has to be another way." I declared flatly, unwilling to sacrifice my child to secure my own existence. "Besides, why is it only me who's affected, what about Kevin?"

"Kevin's powers insulated him from the ripple effect, however the second you conceived the child and your own powers were suppressed the only thing keeping yourself unaffected was taken from you. Besides that I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. Assuming you have the child, you yourself will still almost surely be removed from existence. This means even in the past you would not have been an influencer in Earth's fate. All the times you saved Ben, Ben receiving the Omnitrix, everything even slightly connected to your existence would be altered causing the fate of the Earth to shift, possibly even resulting in a shift in the fate of the universe."

"But," Kevin piped up from the corner, his arms folded across his chest and a furious expression plastered on his face. "If after giving birth she no longer exists then wouldn't the child also no longer exist and this entire problem would no longer have occurred, thereby resetting reality?"

I arched my eyebrows, stunned by Kevin's grasp of time and space and his apparent solution.

"It's not that simple! As this child was born separate to time and reality it will not be affected by Gwendolyn's lack of existence. Simply put, once he or she is born, his or her existence is certain and cannot be undone."

I sighed, somehow relieved that my child was safe even if I wasn't.

"How much time do we have professor?" Ben finally spoke, his tone implying an all business attitude.

"With the rate of accelerated growth the child will be born in less than a week and Gwendolyn's existence will be entirely erased not moments after."

My breath caught in my throat, the sudden revelation of a due date not only for a life but for my own demise somewhat unsettling.

"I have a plan." Ben announced, reminding me to exhale and continue to breathe.

Professor Paradox nodded, his expression calming and his breath becoming more even as he no doubt saw a new future begin to unwind before him.

"That just might work."


	15. Chapter 15

"Gwen, you don't have to do this." Kevin barked, his concern coming through as anger.

A scream echoed through the room as the sharp pains riddling my body intensified.

"It's too late to back out now!" I panted amongst the ever louder screams leaving my mouth.

"The contractions are coming closer together!" Verdona called over me. "This plan of yours had better work Ben!"

The plan that we had been drilling over and over the past few weeks began racing through my mind a million miles an hour. Kevin was adamantly against it and had spent every waking moment trying to convince me to stop, his pleading falling upon little more than deaf ears. Meanwhile Ben had smugly walked around, clearly pleased with himself and his victory against Kevin. The tension in the house had literally become unbearable to the point that the birth, in part, felt like an end to a long lasting war.

"Everything will be reset!" Kevin barked. "None of this will have happened and we wont remember anything! Not the kid, not each other! Nothing!"

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a grin spread across Ben's face and his hand come up to mask it as he nonchalantly rubbed his chin.

I frowned. "I know." I muttered under my breath. "But we have no choice. This is the only way we can fix it that he'll survive."

I screamed again, clutching my stomach as the contractions intensified yet again.

A flash of pain mixed with concern spread across Kevin's face as he fell silent, holding my hand as if I would disappear before his very eyes never to be seen again.

"Besides," I smiled lightly between screams. "We'll remember, I'm sure of it."

He clearly wasn't convinced, his mouth pulled down into a tight frown, his eyes practically willing me to stop. However before he could say anything further pain ripped across my body. I heard Kevin swear under his breath as I gripped his hand so hard I thought it would break. Everything was fuzzy. I could hear Verdona screaming at me to push and Kevin cursing under his breath beside me but my head felt like it was filled with lead.

In the back of my mind I could feel professor Paradox's hand resting on my shoulder but between the indescribable pain and the sudden whirlwind of colors and shapes whizzing by me I barely noticed. Ben was no longer with us, nor was the sky, the ground, or any other physical existence that abided by the laws of physics. It was simply Kevin's hand interlaced with mine and Verdona ordering me to push harder. It was an experience beyond description. As I pushed I could feel my mind slowly losing pieces of myself. Images of the apartment and Ben flashed through my mind only to disappear in an instant, leaving a gap that felt foreign and wrong. I continued to push. I continued to lose memories. With each passing moment – or I suppose rewinding moment if you asked Paradox – my mind felt more empty and more flawed. It was as if I knew I was losing my mind, knew parts were missing, but couldn't remember what or how they existed in the first place.

Finally I felt my pain ease, the baby joining us in the whirling vortex of time and space as we reversed through our lives. Suddenly my hand felt empty, the warmth of Kevin's touch vanished from my grasp. I looked to where he had been floating beside me only to find him missing. Momentarily I felt myself panic, only to find him wiped from my mind an instant later. I was alone. I was scared. I couldn't remember where I was, what I was doing or why I was doing it.

As if on cue Professor Paradox spoke. "Don't worry Gwendolyn, I'll care for young Devlin until you're ready to welcome him back into you're life."

I stared up at him. I was exhausted, though I wasn't sure why. In his arms nestled a small newborn, a little boy. He looked so utterly familiar I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I pried into the very depths of my mind, searching for any memory involving this small babe only to come up blank. I was so confused I was getting a migraine worse than any I'd ever had. Something about the infant, his name – Devlin – his cry, his face, made me want to rip him from Paradox's arms and run away with him. A part of me wanted to have him, to hold him. A small part of me, a part growing ever smaller, knew he was somehow mine.

"Goodbye Gwendolyn," Paradox nodded at me, drawing my attention away from the tiny being resting in his arms. "Until we cross paths again."

The vortex abruptly ended, my mind felt heavier and more painful than it had ever been, and I was thrust into a blinding light.

...

I shot upright in bed, looking around frantically. Something felt wrong, something unexplainable. Nothing came to mind that fit the bill. I shook my head, dismissing my feelings as nothing more than foolishness. I was safe in my bed, safe at home, my fears were completely unfounded – I hoped.

I dressed as quickly as possible and ran down the street. In all my crazy thoughts I had completely forgotten about Karate practice.

Everything was normal.

Everything was fine.

I repeated these mantras all the way to Karate.

Practice seemed to go by in a blur, as if my body was on autopilot. Those lingering feelings of emptiness and worry from this morning just wouldn't be banished. I sighed, thankful that the workout was over and that I could go home and sleep off whatever this unpleasantness was. Then I spotted Ben.

"How's my favorite cousin," he smirked, extending his arms for a hug.

I rolled my eyes with a smile, running into his arms.

"Still undefeated," I smirked back. "Flattery, means you want something."

...

How on earth had I gotten mixed up in this again? I mean don't get me wrong, I loved Ben, but vomit spitting aliens was a bit much, and after enduring being covered by them while Ben's watch rebooted, I was beginning to question why I was helping.

After Ben had so eloquently pointed out that some of their spew was left in my hair, I tuned out his conversation with Kevin to pick it out. When I finally sure it had all been safely removed, I shuddered in disgust and tuned back in.

Kevin was looking away defiantly, Ben was looking displeased. Okay so nothing different from when I had stopped paying attention. I rolled my eyes at their behavior.

"Kevin, people could be hurt." I placed my hand gently on his shoulder.

He relaxed his tense body and shifted. His face softened from his scowl as he looked up at me. Our eyes met. My brain buzzed. Suddenly it felt as though I was missing something important, something I desperately wanted back. In the span of the moments our gazes locked, I felt a familiar warmth spread across my entire body. Shivers snuck up and down my spine and my heart felt like it would explode out of my chest. Was this really Kevin? Wasn't I supposed to hate Kevin? Didn't Kevin hate me? From the way he was gazing back into my eyes with the same intensity I was gazing into his, somehow I knew he didn't. As if my body was certain it loved him, an electric current was running between us. An electric current I knew he could also feel. My mind didn't grasp it, my body longed for it. Incredibly confused I forced myself to remove my hand from his broad shoulder. Our gazes remained locked for another moment before we forced ourselves to return from our strange connection and back to reality.

He began speaking to Ben as I replayed what had just happened in my mind. Bizarrely enough, I somehow loved Kevin. I mean really loved him. The kind of love it took a long time for someone to build. And somehow I was absolutely sure he loved me back.

Embarrassed and still extremely confused I turned away from him. As I did so I noticed small movement in the shadows near some of the containment boxes we'd been fighting between. I squinted, trying to get a better view of who was there. Although I couldn't make it out clearly, I was almost sure there was a young boy hiding in the shadows. He was familiar, though I couldn't place my finger on why. I'd never seen him before. Then it hit me, his black hair and face reminded me of a younger Kevin. Not Kevin exactly, but eerily similar to him. I squinted even harder, desperately trying to get a closer look. Before I could he disappeared, led away into a flash of bright light by an oddly familiar man in a lab coat, a big smile plastered on the young boys face as they disappeared together.

God my head hurt. Why did my feet want so desperately to run full speed over to where that little boy had been and beg for him to return? I resisted doing so with every fiber of my being and mere moments later was forced to leave any hope of finding that familiar little boy as I followed Ben away from the site of our battle and into Kevin's car. Whoever the boy was, for today I had bigger things to worry about.


End file.
